Piston-ring-compressing device.



B MORGAN. PISTON RING COMPRESSING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 12, 1915.

1,167,588., 7 Patented Jan. 11, 1916.

' @w: es t: 7 Z Ina e tor: A by Atty.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAFH C0.,WA5HINGTON, D. c.

BERNARD MORGAN, OF NEVTPORT, R-HODE ISLAND.

PISTON-RING-COMPRESSING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 11, P916.

Application filed March 12, 1915. Serial No. 13,996.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BERNARD MORGAN, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and a resident of Newport, in the county of Newport and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Piston-Ring-Compressing Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to tools or devices designed to compress and holdwithin their grooves the expansible packing rings of the pistons of internal combustion and similar engines, pumps and analogous devices preparatory to placing the piston within the cylinder of the engine, to thereby facllitate the placing of the piston within the cylinder initially or after it has been removed for the purpose of cleaning the rings and grooves, or for other purposes.

The object of my invention is to provide a piston ring compressing device which will be simple in construction and effective for the purpose above indicated; which is adjustable so that a single device may be used with pistons of various sizes; and which is flexible in its nature so that it may be readily placed upon or removed from a piston, and collapsible so that it will occupy but little space when not in use or where stored in a tool box, as is often the case with devices of the class to which my invention relates.

l/vith the above and other objects of my invention in view, my invention consists in the improved piston ring compressing and holding device illustrated in the accompanying drawing, described in the followlng specification, and particularly claimed, and in such variations and modifications thereof as will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which my invention relates.

In the drawing accompanying and forming a part of this application and wherein the preferred embodiment of my lnvention is illustrated: Figure l is a view showing the piston of an internal combustion engine in side elevation, with my device in place thereupon and in engagement with the packing rings to hold them compressed wlthln their grooves; Fig. 2 1s a view showing a piston with my device in place thereupon, as shown in Fig. 1, in plan; Fig. 3 1s a perspective view showing the end portions of my device enlarged, and apart from the piston. Fig. 4: is a similar perspective view showing modified forms of some of the elements of my device; Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view showing one of the bars which are used in my device, and illustrating the preferred method of forming the same; and Fig. 6 is a view showing a detail of construction.

Referring to the drawing the reference numeral 6 designates the piston of an internal combustion or other engine, the same having a plurality of split packing rings 7 located within grooves at its upper end, as is usual in piston construction, four such rings being shown in the piston illustrated although the number of rings employed varies in diiferent pistons in actual practice.

The numeral 8 shows in a conventional manner a portion of the cylinder within which the piston works.

The packing rings of pistons are expansible, and are normally somewhat larger in diameter than the cylinder bore, in order that after they have been compressed into the grooves provided for them and the piston inserted into the cylinder the rings will press outward against the inner wall of the cylinder and thus prevent the flow of gas past the piston, as will be understood.

- The insertion of a piston into its cylinder without the assistance of a ring compressing and holding device is an operation difiicult to perform and one which not infrequently results in breaking a ring as each separate ring has to be forced into its groove and held there until it passes the edge of the cylinder wall, as the rings, being normally larger in diameter than the internal diameter of the cylinder, will otherwise engage the edge of the cylinder wall and arrest the movement of the piston; and the difliculty in question increases with the number of rings as each ring in succession has to be forced into its groove throughout its entire circumference as it is entering the cylinder, as will be appreciated. v

My invention aims to avoid the trouble and danger incident to manipulating the separate rings as above outlined, and to providea device whereby all the rings may be compressed at one time and at one operation and held in that condition while the piston is being inserted in the cylinder, thus preventing the rings from engaging the edge of the cylinder wall and interferring with the movement of the piston into the cylinder.

My improved piston ring compressing de' vice comprises a series of bars 9 spaced apart from one another and each of which is long enough to extend across as many rings as are commonly encountered in pistons, said bars being secured together by flexible means such, for example, as the two wires or cables 10 spaced apart from one another and to which the ends of the bars are secured, whereby a unitary flexible or collapsible device or structure long enough to extend nearly around the piston is secured; which device, upon being placed in position around the piston with the bars in contact with the rings, will compress and force all the rings into their grooves when the two free ends of the device are drawn toward one another by suitable means provided for that purpose, as will be understood.

Various particular forms of pulling means may be used for drawing the free ends of the compressing elements made up of the bars and the flexible connecting means toward one another. Thus, for example, Fig. a shows the two end bars 9 as provided with lugs 11 having each a hole, as illustrated; while the numeral 12 designates the frame of a form of screw clamp having a screw 18 in threaded engagement with the frame at 14:. The end 15 of the screw is adapted to enter the hole of the lug 11 upon one of the end bars of the device, while a reduced projection 16 upon the opposite end of the frame is adapted to enter the hole in the lug upon the other end bar; from which it will be appreciated that when the lugs of the end bars are engaged by the clamp and the screw thereof rotated, the free ends of the device will be drawn toward one another and the rings will be compressed.

Figs. 1 to 3, however, illustrate a different and the preferred form of means for drawing the free ends of the device together and thus compressing the rings, the same comprising a swinging latch member 17 pivotally connected with the bar 9 at one end of the device as by means of a pin extending through lugs 18 carried by said bar, and the free end of which latch member is provided with a screw 19 in threaded engagement therewith at 26 and the end of which screw may be made to enter a hole or de pression formed in a lug 20 carried by the bar 9 at the other end of the device; whereupon and as the screw is rotated the free ends of the device will be drawn toward one another and the rings compressed and forced into the grooves provided for them.

I preferably provide lugs to be engaged by the end of the screw 19 upon a plurality of the bars at one end of the device, as best shown in Fig. 2, with any one of which the end of the screw may be made to engage, as shown in Fig. 3, in order that a single device or tool may be used to compress and hold the rings of pistons of various diameters. The bars 9 and the flexible members 10 are preferably secured together by means of hooks located adjacent the ends of the bars and formed integrally therewith, the hooks being bent over and forced into binding engagement with the flexible members. Such hooks are shown at 21, the same being provided for or formed by slitting the ends of the bar as shown at 22, Fig. 5, and bending one of the portions thus cut free preferably the middle portion 23, so as to form the hook, as shown at the lower end of Fig. 5; the hook being forced into binding engagement with the flexible members in the finished device as above explained. The ends of the bars 9 are also provided with stops which engage the cylinder wall as the piston is moved into the cylinder, in a way that will be understood from an inspection of Fig. 1; thus preventing the compressing device from moving with the piston as the piston itself with its rings is moved into the cylinder; the bars obviously preventing each ring from expanding until its upper end has moved past the edge of the cylinder wall and partly into the cylinder. These stops are designated by the reference numeral 25, and they are preferably formed by bending the side portions 24-, Fig. 5, outward, thus providing stops integral with the bars and located one upon each side of the hook whereby the ends of the bars are secured to the flexible members. The lugs 18 through which the latch member 17 is connected with one end bar, and the lugs 20 provided upon the bars at the opposite end of the device. are preferably provided by cutting a portion of the bars free. along three sides and bending the portion thus out free outward, so as to cause it to stand at right angles to the bar, as will be understood from the drawing, lugs integral with the bars being thus provided.

In using my device the rings are placed in their grooves and the device is passed around the piston with the bars extending across or over the rings, this operation being easily performed because of the flexibiL ity of the device as a whole, after which the free ends are drawn together, thus compressing the rings and forcing them into their grooves. The end of the piston is then entered into the cylinder and moved thereinto, the compressing device being held stationary because of the engagement of the stops aforesaid with the end or edge of the cylinder wall. After all the rings have entered the cylinder the latch member will be loosened, and the device removed, or, the piston may be moved entirely through the compressing device. In either case the flexibility of the device as a whole facilitates its removal after having been used, and also permits it to be disposed so as to occupy but little space should it be desired to pack it,

for example, in a tool box.

Having thus described and explained my invention, I claim and desire to secure Letters Patent 1. A device of the class described comprising a plurality of bars spaced apart from one another, flexible means in direct engagement with said bars and adapted to extend about a piston, and to which said bars are secured, and means for drawing the free ends of said device toward one another.

2. A device of the class described comprising two flexible members spaced apart from one another, a series of'bars each of which is secured directly to both of said flexible members, and means for drawing the free ends of said device toward one another.

3. A device of the class described comprising two flexible members spaced apart from one another, a series of bars each of which is rigidly connected with both of said flexible members, and means in operative engagement with the end bars of said series for drawing the free ends of said device toward one another.

4:. In a device of the class described, two flexible members spaced apart from one another; a plurality of bars spaced apart from one another and which bars are secured to said flexible members; and a pulling member pivotally connected with the bar at one end of the device and adapted to engage a bar at the other end of the device, to thereby draw said ends toward one another.

In a device of the class described, two flexible members spaced apart from one another; a plurality of bars spaced apart from one another, and secured at their ends to said flexible members; a latch member pivotally connected with the bar at one end of the device; a screw in threaded engagement with said latch member; and a lug carried by a bar at the other end of said device and adapted to be engaged by said screw.

6. In a device of the class described, two flexible members spaced apart from one another; a series of bars spaced apart from one another and the ends of which bars are secured to said flexible members; a latch member pivotally connected with the bar at one end of the device; a screw carried by said latch member and in threaded engagement therewith; and lugs located one upon each of a plurality of the bars at the other end of the device and with any one of which lugs one end of said screw may be made to engage, to thereby draw the ends of the device toward one another.

7. In a device of the class described, two flexible members spaced apart from one another; a plurality of bars the ends of which are secured to the flexible members by hooks formed integrally with the bars and bent into engagement with said flexible members; and means for drawing the free ends of said device toward one another.

8. In a device of the class described, two flexible members spaced apart from one an other; a plurality of bars a portion of each end of which is bent into engagement with one of said flexible members to thereby secure the bars and flexible members together; a plurality of stops located at the ends of said bars; and means for drawing the free ends of said device toward one another.

9. In a device of the class described, two flexible members spaced apart from one another; a plurality of bars having each a hook formed integrally therewith and bent into engagement with one of said flexible members; a plurality of stops located at the ends of said bars and formed integrally therewith; and means for drawing the free ends of said device toward one another.

10. In a device of the class described, two flexible members spaced apart from one another; a plurality of bars having each a hook at its end formed integrally therewith and bent into engagment with one of said flexible members; two stops formed integrally with each bar and located one upon each side of the hook aforesaid; and means for drawing the free ends of said device toward one another.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

BERNARD MORGAN.

IVitnesses C. W. LAWTON, E. C. NASH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

